By Jill Wojciechowski

Photo by Kristen Bartlett, Gainesville, Fla.
An eye-opening experience - Katie Lehmann never dreamed she'd live in a city more than 70 times larger than her hometown until she became part of the Rockwell Collins Operations Job Rotation Program. Today, the 23-year-old native of Peosta, Iowa, lives and works in Melbourne, Fla.

Katie Lehmann is the first to admit her exposure to life beyond the Iowa state line was at one time extremely limited.

Raised in the rural Northeast Iowa community of Peosta, Lehmann never dreamed she would one day reside on the Space Coast of East Central Florida in a city more than 70 times larger than her hometown.

"My family always stayed fairly close to home," said Lehmann, now an industrial engineer at Rockwell Collins in Melbourne, Fla., and a participant in our company's Operations Job Rotation Program. "We're a very close-knit family, and we just didn't have an opportunity to travel."

Erica Davis was raised in similar fashion. Born in a small town west of Pittsburgh, Pa., Davis moved with her family to Iowa City, Iowa, when she was in third grade. Like her colleague, the opportunity to learn about the multitude of cultures outside of the Midwest was rare.

Ironically, both Lehmann and Davis – a former production control specialist in Cedar Rapids and current buyer in Melbourne – are quickly developing a broader perspective of life. But they're not the only young people embarking on an experience that will more than likely help further their careers and also grow our company.

Nick Zakrasek is currently in his third job rotation as a member of the Lean Six Sigma Center of Excellence at our facility in San Jose, Calif. A graduate of Brown University in Providence, R.I., Zakrasek has already spent time as an industrial engineer in Coralville, and as a sourcing specialist in Cedar Rapids.

In September, he will become the first Operations employee to travel internationally as part of the job rotation program when he begins work as a Lean-Sigma Black Belt at our facility in Heidelberg, Germany, where he will assist with the integration of Lean and Six Sigma.

"The rotation program is fantastic because you get complete, hands-on experience in all of those areas," said Zakrasek, who signed onto our job rotation program during his senior year of college and started work in June 2006. "You'll work on everything from supplier negotiations to workcell flow — all while being groomed for an eventual management position."

Photo by Kristen Bartlett, Gainesville, Fla.
A different perspective - Erica Davis is one of several Rockwell Collins employees taking part in the Operations Job Rotation Program. A buyer at our facility in Melbourne, Fla., Davis also has worked in Cedar Rapids, and will begin a new job rotation at one of our other facilities in September.

A new generation
Three of more than 75 million members of Generation Y — sometimes referred to as the Millenials — Lehmann, Davis and Zakrasek are embarking on careers in an increasingly multigenerational workplace.

They also are pursuing advancement in an industry facing a potential workforce crisis as scores of employees reach retirement age.

The trio is part of the new generation that is forcing companies like ours to think more about what we are doing to attract and retain young talent, to build our leadership pipeline, and to gain an advantage in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive global marketplace.

"When young people join our company, they might not know exactly what area they're most interested in," said Cindy Bonebright, director of Leader and Employee Development at Rockwell Collins. "Job Rotation Programs like the one currently in place in Operations expose these individuals to several areas of our business, helping them find the work they like best, and providing them with multiple experiences that will ultimately help our company as a whole."

A broader view
Launched in January 2006, the Operations Job Rotation Program is one of two formal rotation programs currently in existence. Finance also has a program in place, and other rotation programs are currently in development and will be rolled out in the coming months.

Participation in the program is primarily offered to external candidates versus those already employed by Rockwell Collins. But, according to Samantha Towlerton, Human Resources Business Partner for Operations, employees who qualify for this program will be considered.

"Erica Davis worked at our company for six months and then started the job rotation," said Towlerton. "Typically, those entering our program have just completed their undergraduate and/or graduate degrees, and have not worked at other companies."

During the course of about three years, those individuals move laterally from one location to another. In that time, they are required to complete three to four rotations — each nine to 12 months in length — gaining the type of experience it takes most employees years to achieve.

"Our objective is to develop the best and brightest Operations talent to fill the holes in our leadership pipeline, and to promote diversity within our professional and leadership ranks," said Towlerton. "We want our employees to have a better understanding of Operations as a whole, and this is a great way to get them headed in the right direction."

According to Towlerton, promoting relocation to facilities across our company — places that might be outside of your comfort zone but that allow you to gain different perspectives about work and life — is also part of the program's intent.

"Living and breathing in one of our regional locations is very different than being at corporate headquarters," said Towlerton. "It's good to have people who have had experiences at other Rockwell Collins locations. It makes them more open to understanding the challenges that go along with being in a regional location or at corporate headquarters. It broadens their perspective."

Davis agrees. "When you sit idle for years and you don't have an opportunity to see the other side of things, it lessens your realm of thinking," said Davis, who is looking forward to her next rotation at another location this fall. "You really have no idea about how another job is affecting your own job or vice versa until you obtain that broader view."

But, it's not always easy to convince employees about the benefits of relocating or tackling new challenges, regardless of where potential career opportunities might exist.

"It's difficult to get people to move to Cedar Rapids, but it's just as difficult to get them to move away from Cedar Rapids," said Towlerton. "We have a lot of leadership positions opening up in our regional locations, and it's proving hard to fill those spots."

Leadership opportunities abound
Within the past three years, more than 10,000 positions have been filled at Rockwell Collins. Of those positions, about 4,000 were filled by current employees taking on new roles within our company, and more than 6,000 positions were filled by new people joining our company.

If Rockwell Collins continues to expand at its expected pace, our company will need to hire about 20,000 new people in the next 10 years due to growth and retirement.

"It will no doubt be advantageous for our future leaders – regardless of what Business Unit or role they are in – to have had multiple geographical experiences," said Bonebright. "Those experiences will help them better understand and prepare for business in a global environment."

Photo by Steve Castillo, Menlo Park, Calif.
Heidelberg bound - Nick Zakrasek is in his third job rotation at Rockwell Collins in San Jose, Calif. In September, the 24-year-old will become the first Operations employee to travel internationally as part of the job rotation program when he begins work at our facility in Heidelberg, Germany.

The opportunity to gain that experience by working in multiple locations and the potential for future career advancement opportunities are exactly what prompted Zakrasek to join our company instead of pursuing a career in the consulting world.

"The more experience you get with different departments, different business units, and different levels of leadership, the better you'll understand how our company works as a whole," said Zakrasek. "And, the more locations in which you are able to work, the more you'll recognize the key factors – unique to each location – which drive success.

"This program is so much more than a job rotation – it's a life rotation," continued Zakrasek, who is studying the German language in preparation for his next rotation. "You're offered the opportunity to explore a whole new world, where you'll acquire interests and passions that will stay with you for the rest of your life."